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South Dade High and Somerset Academy bring home State Duals wrestling championships

South Dade and Somerset Academy entered uncharted territory.

South Dade became the first team to win four FHSAA Dual Team wrestling state championships, and Somerset won its first state title on Saturday at Osceola High School in Kissimmee.

South Dade held off a pesky Riverdale 45-24 in the Class 3A championship dual to claim its fourth consecutive title.

“It’s very cool and it’s something that I will think about later on,” said South Dade coach Victor Balmeceda, whose team has now won 19 wrestling state championships, which includes 15 individually bracketed tournament titles — with seven in a row.

“We will try to do it again next year and the year after. I always tell our kids, ‘We are the hunter because we haven’t won the state championship for that year. Don’t worry about the past, no one can take those away from us.’

“Riverdale put a good team together kind of quietly, and we have much respect for Riverdale. They had a game plan and their kids fought in every match. It makes it that much more worthwhile when you have to beat a quality team like that,” he said.

South Dade won five matches by pin in the title match, getting wins from Sawyer Bartelt (195), Creig Sillmon (220), Luis Acevedo (106), Joshua Aviles (120) and Cordell White (152). Adrian Morales (113) added a tech fall, Joshua Swan (182) a major decision and Gavin Balmeceda (132) and Alex Couto (138) won decisions to seal the record-setting night.

South Dade senior Keith Crouse has been a part of all-four Dual Team state titles, and he said the formula is simple.

“This means we work harder than anyone, and our coaches push us harder than anyone,” Crouse said.

Top-ranked Somerset rallied from an early nine-point deficit to clip Palm Bay 33-28 in the 1A state title match and win its first title in the program’s 10-year history while making its first appearance in the state finals dual.

“We finally got here and I am super-proud,” Somerset coach Joe Blasucci said. “I wanted a tough match in the final. We have been waiting for this for a long time.”

Christian Fretwell (106) and Skyler Caban (132) won with pins while Elvis Solls (120) added a tech fall, Darian Estevez (152) won a major decision and Joshua Oyeneye (195), Matthew Jimenez (285), Chase Gillis (138), Bas Diaz (145) and Darian Estevez (152) won decisions.

Somerset advanced to its first finals appearance with a 67-9 rout of Lemon Bay, ferociously dishing out 10 pins — eight in the first period — which included Sean Concepion (182), Jimenez (285), Fretwell (106), Matthew Velasco (113), Solls (120), Raymond Greene (126), Caban (132), Gillis (138), Diaz (145), and Estevez (152).

“I told everybody I wanted a pin in the first period, and they made it a contest to see who had the fastest pin,” Blasucci said.

South Dade handled Fort Pierce Central easily in the 3A semifinal, 55-13. Along the way, the Buccaneers picked pin victories from Swan (182), Acevedo (106), Morales (113), Aviles (120), Couto (138) and Adrian Neco (145). Bartelt (195) and Misha Arbos (126) won with tech falls while Silimon (220), White (152) and Crouse (170) picked up decisions.

Southridge, under first-year head coach Markel Shropshire, was upended by Palmetto Ridge 52-22 in the 2A semifinal. Southridge picked up pin wins from Quiton Johnson (160) and Lawrence Rosario (170) in the first two matches to take an early 12-0 lead but the momentum stalled. Only Dedric Marshall (220), picking up a major decision, and Conner Hueck (120), landing a 10-6 decision, won matches.

“The guys came out on fire,” Shropshire said. “Quiton Johnson came out on fire. We had the guys rolled in, but we came up a little short in the lighter weights. There was a couple of points left on the mats that we should have got. The guys fought and left it on the mat.”

Southridge has won seven IBT state championships — fourth best in state history — but is still looking for its first Dual Team state title, but Shropshire promises to gain from the semifinal appearance.

“This will get us ready for IBT time, state time. We had a lot of young guys who got to see some experience in a state type of environment,” Shropshire said.

Lake Gibson won the 2A state title — its third in program history. Lake Highland Prep has also won three Dual Team titles but opted out of FHSAA competition this year to compete on a national platform.

Boys’ basketball

Southwest (14-1) 67, Immaculata-LaSalle 47: Jose Vargas 17; Carlos Taveras 17; Joel Aloma 11; Christian Sarria 5; Evan Castellanos 4; Glen Noel 3; Sebastian Ching 2; John Mayora 2; Sean Perez 2; Josnel Aloma 2; Matthew Gossin 2.

Palmer Trinity 44, Coral Shores 33: PT(8-5): Waldman 24, Friedland 10. CS: Holmes 10, Bradman 8. HT: PT 23-22. Three-pointers: Waldman 3, Friedland 2, Bradman 2, Menendez, Rodriguez, Torres, Maska. Rebounds: Waldman 12, Friedland 5. Steals: Friedland 3, McCray 2. Assists: McCray 5, Waldman 2, Rodz 2.

Girls’ basketball

GMAC third-place game — Miami Central 39, Krop 36: Lindsey Weingard 14; Lauryn Hornstein 13; Neyida Michel 5; Emmy Mills 3; Mail Lisa Atis 1.’

Girls’ soccer

American Heritage (4-1) 2, Oxbridge 0: Savannah Hydes 1 goal, 1 assist; Mia Young 1 goal; Diana Pon 1 assist; Sophia Garcia shutout.

Pines Charter (5-2) 3, West Broward 1: Eliana Salama 2 goals; Francesca Brito 2 assists; Jada Cabrera 1 goal.